It may have taken far too long, but Google has today updated the YouTube app for iOS, bringing with it support for two very specific iPad features. With Google having been lambasted for its tardy support of iPad multitasking in its productivity apps, YouTube was also one that was suffering from a lack of iPad-related updates, but today’s new version of YouTube sees both Split View support and Slide Over capabilities make an appearance. Unfortunately though, Picture-in-Picture (PiP) has still been left out.
The new update, a free replacement for the YouTube app that was already available, allows users to watch videos in Split View mode or with YouTube active via Slide Over. Both of those options now mean YouTube can run alongside another iPad app on tablets that support that feature.
The lack of Picture-in-Picture (PiP) support means those who want to watch a video in a floating window while researching something or maybe even browsing the web are out of luck for now from the official offering. While a number of third-party YouTube apps already supports PiP feature of iOS 9, Google for some reason has decided not to as yet in the official app.
It is also important to note that Split View and Slide Over features of iOS aren’t supported on all iPad models. Apple’s Split View is compatible with the iPad Air 2, both iPad Pros, and the iPad mini 4 while Slide Over is compatible with the iPad Air and newer, the iPad mini 2 and newer, and both iPad Pros. Who said having multiple iPad SKUs would cause confusion?
While it’s great to see YouTube’s official app get the update treatment, the lack of PiP support even six months after the release of iOS 9 is a real shame, considering most popular third-party video streaming apps on iOS now supports this feature. If you want to experience PiP for YouTube, we highly recommend checking out CornerTube app. It does a great job of offering Picture-in-Picture support for YouTube videos. Be sure to check it out, we’ve covered the app before right over here.
Google’s updated YouTube app can be downloaded from the App Store now, and also contains bug fixes as well as a couple of minor changes.
You may also like to check out:
- How To Find Videos On YouTube By Location
- Download iOS 9.3 Final Version For iPhone And iPad [Direct Links]
- iOS 9.3 / 9.2.1 / 9.2 / 9.1 Jailbreak Status Update
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